Editorial: Connecting the dots of mobility

Foot by foot, block by block and mile by mile, Indianapolis is advancing toward the destination of 21st-century mobility that economics, environmental quality, health and safety demand. Many miles remain ahead, geographically and politically.

This week, Mayor Greg Ballard led the celebration of the opening of a new section of trail for walkers and bicyclists along East 62nd Street between Keystone Avenue and Allisonville Road, long a dangerous corridor for non-motorists.

The path brings the greenway system past 60 miles. Ballard wants to hit the 100-mile mark by 2015 and officials hope to double that down the road.

Other cities are far ahead, to be sure; but Indy has made remarkable progress in recent years, not only with the extension of walkways but also with the connective elements that give these amenities their full value.

From the Cultural Trail to the painting of bike lanes, from the advocacy for expanded mass transit to the addition of sidewalks to neighborhoods that have historically suffered without them, the city has been moving from a car culture to a holistic and realistic urban network.

The mayor's Office of Sustainability has been at the forefront; but it shares credit for progress with other government entities, the universities, business and community groups. The nonprofit Health By Design organization in particular has been instrumental in pointing out the pitfalls of charting development without sufficient regard for walkers, bikers, bus riders and those with physical disabilities and other challenges.

The Complete Streets ordinance passed this year should serve as a kind of Geiger counter to detect gaps and potential gaps in access, whether it be building a shopping center beyond IndyGo lines or widening a thoroughfare at the expense of sidewalks. Planners and developers must be persuaded and prodded to use that tool.

Mistakes aplenty dot the city when it comes to moving people and not just automobiles. Avoiding their repetition will make for a safer and healthier city by encouraging folks to put their feet to the pavement and the pedal -- bike, not accelerator. The thousand-mile journey to true efficiency will take millions of steps; and that's a benefit, not a cost.

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Editorial: Connecting the dots of mobility

Foot by foot, block by block and mile by mile, Indianapolis is advancing toward the destination of 21st-century mobility that economics, environmental quality, health and safety demand. Many miles